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Press ReleaseCenter for Keratoconus Chairman Yaron S. Rabinowitz, M.D. Honored by French Eye SocietyLOS ANGELES, June 8, 2005 -- When Yaron S. Rabinowitz, M.D., chairman of The Center for Keratoconus (http://www.kcenter.org), director of ophthalmology research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and clinical professor of ophthalmology at UCLA, delivered the keynote lecture at the annual meeting of the French Eye Society (Société Française d'Ophtalmologie, SFO) in Paris earlier this month, it was an uncommon accomplishment: The noted keratoconus researcher was only the third American ophthalmologist in recent history to be chosen as the SFO's honored guest.Dr. Rabinowitz's lecture, "Keratoconus: Current Concepts," highlighted molecular genetics and the new INTACS surgery technique for patients with the degenerative corneal disease. Dr. Rabinowitz described the insertion of INTACS for keratoconus using the Intralase femtosecond laser to make the intracorneal channels. His work on the subject is an extension of the pioneering work of Dr. Joseph Colin, professor of ophthalmology at Bordeaux University in France, who first described the use of INTACS in the treatment of keratoconus using a mechanical technique. Dr. Rabinowitz presented data showing his technique using the Intralase is safer, more accurate and more effective than was documented in any earlier publications showcasing the mechanical technique. He also presented to the SFO six-month follow-up data on 20 patients using his technique; those data are currently being prepared for submission to the peer-reviewed literature. A key point of Dr. Rabinowitz's lecture centered on his team's molecular corneal research. In collaboration with National Institutes of Health researchers Dr. Graeme Wistow and Dr. Lijin Dong, Dr. Rabinowitz and The Center for Keratoconus recently developed and published the largest library of corneal genes ever to be published, increasing the number of corneal genes on the NEIbank Web site from 140 to over 4,000 genes. That cDNA library of keratoconus corneas is available for use by corneal researchers worldwide at the NEIbank Web site, http://neibank.nei.nih.gov. As part of the study, the researchers were the first ever to describe a molecular defect in keratoconus, an absence of transcripts for the water channel protein Aquaporin 5 (AQP5). The description has the potential to be developed into a molecular genetic test to detect keratoconus in its early stages. With a membership of approximately 6,000, the 6,000-member SFO is the largest ophthalmologic society in Europe. The Society's annual meeting is held every year in Paris at the beginning of May; this year, approximately 4,500 ophthalmologists turned out for the event. "Dr. Rabinowitz was invited because he is a world renowned expert in the field of cornea and external disease," stated Dr. Colin. "Particularly in the field of keratoconus research." ABOUT THE CENTER FOR KERATOCONUS The Center for Keratoconus was founded in 1999 by actor Robert Gavin after he was diagnosed with the disease. The Center is an international, nonprofit health organization supporting keratoconus research, education, advocacy, and service. Contact: Robert Gavin The Center for Keratoconus 888-289-5533 rgavin@kcenter.org http://www.kcenter.org |
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